Push & Pull

by Maya Tayler

  “They look good on you.”

  “Thanks,” I said, bopping him one last time.

  Jumping to his feet, he turned and asked, “What movie do you want to watch? We have Lazy Daze, Two Suns and a Daughter, and Time Teller.” He pulled the DVD cases from a laptop bag he brought.

  “Wait. How do you have Time Teller?” I asked raising my eyebrow suspiciously. “Isn’t that still in theaters?”

  “Oh, you know. I travel a lot.” He gave a sly wink before flipping the television on. The Thai food arrived before we finished wading through the previews and halfway through the movie I had nearly shot noodles out of my nose. We were engrossed in our own little world, hardly paying attention to the movie. We talked about life and our careers, though I may have fibbed about mine. And even when the movie ended we carried out our conversation into the early hours. I didn’t feel like I was on a date and it wasn’t a bad thing. We were comfortable. Content. Liam glanced down at his watch.

  “Two. Damn, it’s late! I’m sorry to keep you this long,” he said, grabbing our empty plates and carrying them to the kitchen.

  “You don’t want dessert?” I asked. I didn’t mean it to sound sexual but he gave a soft laugh. “I mean, like…ice cream or something.” My cheeks flushed suddenly and he nodded.

  “Sure. What do you have?” I rummaged through the freezer looking for the chocolate chip ice cream I thought I had. Then I remembered I destroyed it in a Sex In the City marathon. Maybe I had cheesecake. No dice. Cookies? Nope.

  “Well, this is embarrassing.” A disappointed sigh came over me. “Rain check?”

  “I have a better idea. Are you tired yet?” I shook my head. “Up for a quick trip?”

  “Does it mean I have to put on normal clothes?” I asked looking down at my yoga pants. They’d grown increasingly comfortable and the fleece sweater felt nice against my nipples. For some odd reason I felt sexy.

  “Please don’t,” he winked, grabbing his keys and my hand before heading out the door.

  We arrived at Padua several moments later and he parked his Audi on the street.

  “Umm…pretty sure it’s closed,” I said motioning towards the dark restaurant front. Considering that it was Wednesday, most everything shut down at midnight. He ignored my observation and dashed around to open my door. Before I could protest he pressed his finger to my lips and guided me toward the back entrance. He jingled his keys carefully into the lock, holding fast to my hand.

  “Do you work here?” I whispered, darting my eyes around the quiet alleyway.

  “You could say that.” The door swung open and he dipped a hand in to disarm the alarm. As he flicked on the lights he added, “Okay, I own it. Silent partner. Now, what do you want for dessert?”

  “Mmmm, what’s on the menu?” I had to admit that I was hoping more and more it’d be him.

  “Good question. It changes weekly,” he said. “Why don’t we take a peek?” With his fingers still tangled in mine he pulled me gently into the kitchen, navigating through a maze of stainless steel appliances. The place was spotless, as I’m sure it had to be for health reasons and it was much larger than I’d imagined. The restaurant itself only held maybe one hundred and fifty guests, at most. But the kitchen was nearly the same size as the dining room.

  “Why is the kitchen so big?” I asked, trying to keep up with his steps. I’m sure the question seemed weird, but he answered it with ease.

  “We do prep here for more than one restaurant.” When I didn’t speak again he continued, “There’s several LA based soup kitchens that don’t have a large enough space. We allow them to prep here on alternating days depending on their expected capacity. I actually own one of them and when I signed on to this venture it was one of the prerequisites for investing. My partner has been trying to expand the dining room from day one, but my fifty percent won’t let him.” For once, in a long while, I was legitimately speechless. His face lit up with excitement and for a moment, I thought it was the topic. But we had reached the walk in refrigerator and dessert was waiting. Aside from the biting temperature, I was overwhelmed with the quantity of food. So neat, so organized. Sections were labeled by type with their respective expiration tags facing out. A few stainless steel carts were pushed toward the back, one of them containing an array of desserts.

  “That’s convenient,” I laughed as he wheeled the cart toward me. He pointed out a few, giving brief descriptions as he went.

  “Tartlet. Fruit, crust, and cream,” he said showing me a colorful, palm sized dish. “Banana spring rolls. Banana, fried tortilla, dusted with cinnamon sugar.” I licked my lips as my stomach growled a little. I hadn’t realized that I was actually hungry. “And the chocolate mousse. Chocolate. Need I say more?” He handed me a spoon.

  “These aren’t made to order?” I asked, giving him a playful smirk as I took a bite from the mousse.

  “Perhaps I thought you might be hungry.” His eyes drew level with mine. “At least, I hoped you would be.” The cold temperature suddenly caught up to me and a slight shiver rocked through me. He cupped his palm along my neck.

  “You’re freezing,” I tried to play it off as I continued to eat my dessert. Mid shiver a bit tumbled from my spoon and down the front of my sweater. I hoped he hadn’t noticed but the twisted smile on his face indicated otherwise.

  “I’ll get it,” he offered, stepping into me so close that the only distance left was maintained by my plate. I put it down. His hands hooked possessively into the bottom of my sweater, pulling me closer. For a moment, I stopped shivering. My whole body must have gone from zero to sixty in a matter of seconds. He brushed his fingertips along the tenderness of my stomach before traveling farther. Inch by inch, his hands eased upward, dragging my sweater with it. Our breathing grew heavy. Pockets of steam emanated from our mouths as my sweater lifted past my breasts. Before I could breathe another word, his lips fell softly between them, circling his tongue around the little bit of chocolate left by my dessert.

  My whole body erupted into chills. His tongue probed along the base of my breast, sliding up onto my nipple, as he wrapped his arms around me.

  “Are you sure we’re alone?” I asked, not really caring about the answer. He peeled my sweater off completely and dropped it on the ground.

  “Mhmm…” he murmured, mouth full of breast. He was like a radiator, body blazing with fists of fire. Each motion drew out the cold and replaced it with an intense desire. I pulled off his shirt. As if he could read my mind, he wrapped his arms around me again, extinguishing my chills.

  “Do you want me?” he asked, barely above a whisper.

  Without hesitation I moaned, “Of course I do.” His hands hooked behind my knees as he lifted me up against the shelves. My ass rested on the edge, his erection grinding with need between my thighs. He tilted me up again only to peel my pants off before setting me back on the cool steel surface. His cock was wound hard against my clit, rubbing unbridled with need. I felt exposed, completely naked amid my sterile surroundings, but so alive. Aware. Raw. Liam turned and swept the dessert cart, knocking all of the contents to the ground before snatching me off the shelf. He rested me on my back and quickly dropped his pants. The surface was frigid but the warmth from him sliding between my legs was more than enough. He entered me gently at first, filling my most intimate place with his substantial girth. It felt intoxicating. Easing in and out, he draped my legs over his shoulder while gripping my ankles.

  “Damn, Claire,” he groaned, thrusting harder. The cart started to wobble under the momentum as he buried deeper inside of me. “You feel incredible.” He slid his hand down the inside of my thigh, resting his thumb on my folds. Stroking me in rhythm with his thrusts, my breath suddenly caught in my chest.

  “You like that?” I gasped drawing my hands across my breasts before playing with my nipples. The action drove Liam wild. He split my legs open, resting each ankle on his shoulders.

  “You’re so fucking hot. Play with yourself for me.�
� I was about to explode, but I obliged as I pinched my nipples. Pleasure surged through me. I tried to grip the cart but it was too late. My thighs shook as my hips tremored against his and I cried out.

  “Oh, Liam!” He pressed a finger down against my lips, giving me a crooked smile. Another orgasm rocked my body but he continued to pump in and out of me. My breathing grew stagnant. The cart ceased to wobble. He gripped me tightly one last time before giving in to his climax. Leaning over, he brought his lips firmly to mine, pressing his tongue passionately into my mouth. Our chests heaved in unison.

  “That was…”

  “Amazing,” I said as I wrapped my arms around his neck. I drew him in for one more kiss before he hoisted me off the cart and set me on my feet. My breathing had evened out a little by now but my legs were still weak. Shaking with exhaustion, Liam caught me before I collapsed.

  “You okay, tiger?” he asked with a reckless chuckle. He kissed me on the forehead before I could answer. “Let’s get you home.”

  When we arrived back at the apartment Liam walked me to the door.

  “Thanks for humoring me tonight,” he said, giving a subtle wink. “I had a nice time.” He clasped my hand before kissing me tenderly on the cheek. “Goodnight, Claire.” As he turned to leave, I was reminded of the excitement we shared in the fridge.

  “Stay,” I called. His head turned slightly over his shoulder. “Stay with me.” This time the words came out more as a plea. I couldn’t remember the last time I had a man of his caliber in my bed.

  He scooped me up in his arms and whispered in my ear, “As you wish.”

  6

  The sun blaring through the window of my fourteenth floor high rise was enough to wake me up. I probed for another pillow feeling only empty space on the other side of the bed. He was gone. The night had been perfect so of course it would end like this. No breakfast. No note. I pulled the blankets over my head and allowed myself a moment to wallow. I should have known better. He was successful, charming, and too good to be true. My phone emitted a soft chirp causing my heart to skip a beat. It was Jill. We had talked on and off since the Lucca incident and I had resigned myself to the fact that maybe he was a good man after all.

  “Hello?” I answered, trying to mask my sleepy tone.

  “Claire. What are you doing tonight?” She sounded manic as ever, occasionally shouting out directions to voices in the background. It was Thursday.

  “Nothing,” I grumbled pulling the covers back over my head. If there was ever a time to get a life, it was now.

  “Look, we’re having an impromptu engagement party tonight at my place. Do you think you can find some unsuspecting soul to be your date?” I tried to ignore her sarcasm.

  “Yeah, I already have someone lined up.”

  “Oh! What’s he like? Is he handsome?” she asked, sounding surprised. Resentment swelled in my gut.

  “He’s…” I hesitated, thinking about the night prior, “He’s everything I’ve ever wanted.”

  “Sounds like a dream. Bring him tonight at 8. I’ve gotta run. Ciao, Bella!” And with that, she was gone. I often wondered how we ever maintained a friendship. She was so hard to pin down. The realization that I had just committed to bringing a date sunk in. Dammit. Despite the wonderful evening I’d shared with Liam, I didn’t think I could bring myself to invite him. The last man who ditched out on me took everything and left me a shell of a woman. I refused to be a victim again.

  Browsing through my phone, I dialed the only number that made sense.

  We arrived at Jill’s at 7:45 sharp. Everyone who knew her understood the obsessive need for punctuality. If you weren’t early, you were late.

  “Claire, honey,” she greeted me, kissing the sides of my cheeks. She turned to my escort and said, “This must be…”

  “Andrew,” he stated, politely taking her hand and kissing the top of it. Jill’s lips turned up in a satisfied smile.

  “So handsome and well-mannered too.” Her tone made it sound like she was speaking of my dog. Andrew didn’t seem to notice or care much as he hooked his arm in mine. We hadn’t seen each other since the rendezvous in Liam’s apartment, but we kept in contact. A flirtatious text here, a voicemail there. He was even more attractive than I remembered. Eventually I left Andrew with a few of the other men at the party and joined the ladies in the den. Jill had an incredible high-rise with a 360 degree view of greater Los Angeles. Not to mention it was impeccably decorated and spotless, much like Jill. It brought back memories of the apartment I had shared with my ex husband, Jason. Jill would never admit it, but there once was a time where my wealth and influence spanned even farther than hers. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

  “Claire. Come, sit.” She patted the maroon cushion conjoined with hers. I poured a glass of scotch instead and carefully lifted my glass as a gesture of camaraderie. Whether she took it that way or not, I didn’t care.

  “So, where’s Lucca?” I asked, going straight for the jugular. It pained me to behave this way but I couldn’t wrap my mind around how cold Jill had become. We weren’t exactly the fondest friends before. In fact, Jill had always been an at arm’s length type. It wasn’t until here recently that she’d become snide. Assertive. Jealous. But of what?

  “Work ran a bit late for him. He should be here soon.” She smoothed her short, cream dress across her perfectly tanned legs and smiled. I wanted to shake her. “What’s the story with you and Andrew? You’ve never mentioned him before. How did you meet?” Knowing she would be curious, I’d rehearsed a story with Andrew on the way over. He understood my desire for discretion.

  “I was looking for a larger space and he is subletting his condo. He showed me the place and while it wasn’t quite what I wanted, we ended up getting coffee and the rest is history.” My eyes lit up and for a moment I almost believed my own story. A few of the other women offered their well wishes and Jill looked like she was going to say something more but the doorbell rang.

  “I’ll get it,” I said, taking the opportunity to get out of dodge. I knew it was Lucca and I was sure he wasn’t expecting to see me. It’s always better to get the awkward part out of that way. Jill wasn’t far behind me when I opened the door to see Liam standing there. Our jaws dropped. Before I could confront him, Jill appeared next to me practically jumping into his arms.

  “Lucca, this is Claire. Claire, my fiancé Lucca Morretti.”

  ***

  Find out what happens next in Liam and Claire’s love affair. POWER PLAY, book two in the novelette series launches March 8th. For updates, subscribe to the Push Series Newsletter by clicking here. Don’t worry, we will never send you spam or share your information! Stay tuned…

  About the Author

  Maya Tayler is an American writer residing in Los Angeles, CA. She has been writing erotica as a hobby for many years but Push & Pull is her first published title. Maya enjoys craft beer, people watching, and surfing at six in the morning. While she currently holds a day job, writing is and always be in the forefront of her life. If you like naughty bits and girls with wits then follow her on Twitter @OhMissMaya or at her blog.

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  About the Author